Four and a half months had passed since the battle when Abraham Lincoln rose to speak at Gettysburg for just over two minutes. There was no applause at the end. Perhaps those in attendance were shocked that he finished so soon. Republican newspapers lauded the speech and Democratic newspapers panned it. Partisan politics have not changed because people have not changed. People are people are people. Lincoln said, “The world will little note nor long remember what we say here.” How wrong he was. We remember. His classic lines have become part of our national fabric as each generation longs for that new birth of freedom so we might continue the realization of the American dream.
As a teacher I try to remember that we think students will little remember what we say to them. They will not remember our fabulous lectures. Instead they will remember the one on one comments. The comments after class, the short conversations in the hallway or in our offices are what they remember. We, the teachers, do not remember. I should not be surprised that I do not remember when years later students tell me I said “so and so” to them. After all, I remember the personal remarks from my teachers.
This is not only true for teachers. The things adults say to young people in our churches are remembered and often become the foundation for their future attendance and even more importantly, their relationship to Christ. When we are tempted to make a smart remark about their hair, their clothes, the pierced nose or lip, we might want to bite our lip. They will remember long after they have matured and removed the hardware. We thought we witnessed. But what did we really do?
Written by Roger Bothwell on November 20, 2013
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org